Thousand Paper Cranes
by emmalied
Summary: “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world.” As Rin watched, Kagome made a final fold and crease. What once was an ordinary piece of paper was now a graceful white crane, sitting serenely in the miko's outstretched hand.
1. Rain or Shine

**Well, this is my first attempt at an Inuyasha fic, so if you're not a fan of newbie stories, I suggest you turn back now. Just to warn you, the characters may be a bit stiff and out of character, but I tried to keep them in character as much as I possibly could. All feedback is greatly appreciated, if you have any to offer.**

* * *

Rain or Shine

The sun was shining in the modern era.

The sun hung in a sky of egg-shell blue, burning down on the city of Tokyo. Cars honked between the buildings, and people on bicycles weaved expertly in and out of the crowd. One of the bicyclists brushed too close to a pedestrian in a baseball cap, causing the youth to shout obscenities at his retreating back before he melted away into the afternoon rush.

These busy streets criss-crossed and intersected at various points in the heart of the city. Most of them were congested and busy and loud, but there were a few side-streets that branched off into quieter areas of the city. It was on one of these peaceful streets that an ancient shrine was located. Across from the shrine was a simple house that housed a simple family. Or what used to be a family; the daughter was missing more often than not these days, lost in time, and the son was growing up and spending more and more time away from home.

And so it was a lonely middle-aged woman that stood in front of the kitchen sink, up to her elbows in soapy dishwater as she scrubbed at a stubborn piece of dried food stuck to a plate. For the tenth time that day, her eyes flicked to the door, hoping that her son would burst through at any moment with his schoolbag. But, like the other nine times, she was disappointed. The screen door did not slide open, and no young boy crossed the threshold with a big grin on his face. With a sigh, she turned her gaze elsewhere.

She looked out the kitchen window at the well-house for the hundredth time that day. She would look there a thousand times a day, thousands of time in a week, and a million times in a month. But as always, like Souta, Kagome disappointed her. As a watched pot never boiled, a watched daughter never came home. She would wait until her mother had momentarily forgotten that her daughter was five hundred years in the past before popping through the well, sometimes with her silver-haired friend in tow. But then she would leave again, her hand tugging at those shards that hung in the vial around her neck.

Ms. Higurashi never truly begrudged her daughter for her prolonged absences in the past, but it would have been nice if she could stay for longer than a few days when she came home. How nice it would have been to call upstairs in the mornings that breakfast was ready, and hear two pairs of feet scrambling down the steps instead of one. Not that she didn't care for Souta, no, of course she loved both of her children equally. But though she passed off her daughter's worrying over her with a wave of her hand, in reality, she was sometimes frightened for the teenage girl. At least when she was home, she was safe from harm.

_Oh Kami, _she though despairingly as she dropped the clean dish she had been absentmindedly scrubbing for the past several minutes, _I know you have your reasons, I really do, but why my daughter, of all people in the world? Why my Kagome?_

The slamming of the sliding door door announced her son's arrival. He caught her off guard, just as she knew he would, just as he always did. As she wiped her eyes free of the tears threatening to fall and putting a forced grin on her worn face, Souta bounced in with a smile on his face, his schoolbag falling off of his shoulder and onto the floor. A few years ago, his mother would have scorned him for such an action, but the solid thud of the books hitting the floor assured her that she and grandpa weren't the only ones living in the house anymore.

She opened her arms and her son obliged her. He knew what she thought about on these bright, sunny days that reminded them both of the lost girl. As she hugged him tight, he hugged her in return, and for a moment, the two pieces of the family melded into one. But there was still a gap there that couldn't be filled, and wouldn't be until Kagome returned. But for now, they had to do the best they could with the family that they had.

* * *

It was raining in the feudal era.

The sky was dark and roiled with clouds. It wasn't the pleasant, gentle rain that sometimes washed over the forests after a dry spell. No, this was a torrential downpour accompanied by a fierce wind, quick flashes of lighting, and crackling thunder. The trees shuddered and gave way to the howling wind, some bowed in half already, others toppling to the ground with crashes that were drowned out by the thunder.

In the thick of it all was a rather strange group; a monk, a demon-slayer, a fire neko, a fox kit, a hanyou, and a miko. At the moment, they were all rushing towards the cave the hanyou had spotted a while back, desperate to get out of the rain. Normally, the weather wouldn't bother them too much, but this storm was proving to be too difficult to cope with at the moment, especially for the humans and the fox kit.

They reached the cave, soaking wet and frozen to the bone. The hanyou skulked back out into the rain, muttering about weak humans as he went. The two women glared at his back as he left.

"Where's Inuyasha going?" The younger of the two girls asked, pushing her hair back from her forehead, where it had stuck after it had gotten wet. Her clothes were odd for the time; a scandalously short skirt combined with a short-sleeve shirt, both of which were sopping wet and clinging to her skin. It was the monk who answered her, averting his eyes from the girl to look at the slayer instead, whose outfit always clung to her body anyways (not that he was complaining).

"I'm uncertain, Kagome-chan, perhaps to get firewood. What do you think, Sango?"

The slayer automatically shuffled a few feet farther from him, deeper into the cave, not trusting the monk's lingering eyes. Her hand went back to the huge weapon that was slung there, a silent warning for the pervert to stay away, and the monk gladly obliged, holding up his hands, trying (and failing) to put an innocent expression on his face. Once she was sure he wouldn't try anything sketchy, the Sango sat down, neatly folding her legs underneath her as she wrung out her hair.

"I don't know Miroku."

Kagome sat down next to Sango, frowning. "Where would he get firewood in such weather? Won't it all be wet?"

Miroku sat down close to the slayer, who glowered at him. He ignored her, though, and smiled across the stone floor at Kagome. "There are places the water can't reach."

"Oh? Like where?" The young miko followed Sango's lead and also wrung the water out of her hair, listening to it splatter against the ground, blending with the rain.

"Oh, various places. Sometimes the inside of hollowed out trees remain dry in such storms. Inuyasha will know where to go."

Kagome 'hmphed', still a bit annoyed at the hanyou's earlier comment about weak humans and folded her arms with a shiver.

The fox-kit walked up to hair, shaking the rain from his fur, and reached up with tired arms. Kagome obliged without a word, holding her adopted son against her chest as he snuggled there in an attempt to keep warm, mumbling incoherently. She drew her knees up against him, unknowingly giving the monk a free view up her skirt. He pretended not to notice, but peeked out of the corner of his eye.

He was sprawled out on his back a second later, an angry red handprint obvious against his skin even in the dark cave. Kagome didn't look up, assuming that Miroku had tried to feel up Sango for the twentieth time that day, until the slayer leaned over to whisper in her ear. With an undignified squeal, Kagome flattened her legs in front of her and smoothed down the front of her skirt, joining Sango in glaring daggers at the Monk.

"Now ladies," he said with a nervous laugh, "surely you don't think I was looking for my own benefit. I was certainly going to tell the lady here that-"

"Stuff it, Miroku," they answered back simultaneously.

A companionable silence descended as they waited for Inuyasha for return. Kagome sat next to Sango, stroking Shippou's fur softly as he slept in her arms, his fur slowly beginning to dry. The fire neko Kirara curled into Sango's side, and the slayer wound her fingers into the demon's fur, sending occasionally glares to the other side of the cave where Miroku huddled, looking sheepish.

Suddenly, Kirara lifted her head and glared at the cave entrance, a high-pitched growl rumbling in her throat. A second later, Inuyasha appeared out of the rain, shaking it out of his hair and fire-rat cloak as he moved in towards where the group was huddled. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku shrank back as they were hit with stray droplets, giving little noises of complaint. Inuyasha scoffed and pulled a few pieces of dry wood out from under his cloak, where they had remained safe from the rain.

"Keh, don't see what your problem is," he grunted, dropping the pile to the ground. Kagome slipped her bag off her shoulders, trying not to jostle Shippou too much, and fished inside to grab her box of matches. As she moved to light the fire, Miroku and Sango scooting closer, Inuyasha was still grumbling. "Shake a bit of water and they all turn on ya. Well maybe next time I won't get firewood."

"Sit, boy," Kagome snapped without looking up. There was a loud thud as the beads around his neck did their work, followed by a few choice words. Kagome was thankful that Shippou was still asleep. She carefully placed two matches in the pile of wood, painfully aware of the dwindling supply of matches in the box. She'd have to pick another box up the next time she went home.

_Home. _The teenager sat back with a small sigh. Dog ears twitched, and golden eyes flickered over to where she sat back, watching the fire slowly catch and grow higher. The fox-kit, as if sensing her distress, gathered bunches of her shirt tighter in his hands and snuggled deeper. In response, her arms went around him, her chin resting on the top of his head.

In truth, Kagome Higurashi never knew whether or not a visit home would be her last. For all she knew, for all any of them knew, the next brush with Naraku could be tomorrow, or the next day, or the next.

Her hand clenched around the jewel shards that hung from her neck. She knew that she had a duty to accomplish, but at the same time, it wasn't her desire to die in this time. As much as she loved Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Inuyasha, she wanted her mom, grandpa, and brother at her funeral too.

She glanced at Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye. She wanted him to have one of his rare humane moments, where he would sit next to her and ask her what was wrong. But he was staring into the fire, the fierce, burning light reflecting in his equally fiery eyes. Of course, she had just 'sat' him, so this silent treatment was to be expected. With another tiny sigh, Kagome stared back down at the fox kit, her adopted son, and went back to stroking his head with gentle hands. She should know better than to hope for that.

As the night wore on and the storm showed no signs of letting up anytime soon, the group slowly began to nod off. Miroku slept on the floor, using his arm as a pillow, his staff clenched in his other hand. The hand that was afflicted with the Wind Tunnel would occasionally clench and unclench as he slept. The taijiya watched him with an expression of unhappiness before she rose to join him, sitting a few paces away with Kirara in her arms. Within a few moments, she had nodded off as well.

Kagome and Inuyasha were the only ones left, both staring intently at the fire. Despite the warmth of the flame, her clothes were still a bit damp from the rain, and she shivered in spite of herself. But even though her skin was chilled, sleep was beginning to prevail, and her head began to slump forward in her exhaustion.

Just as she was feeling herself fall asleep, she heard Inuyasha get up. Before she could open her eyes and ask him where he was going, she felt a warmth descend upon her, and soft footsteps padding away to the back of the cave, where she knew he would sit in solitude for the rest of the night. She opened her eyes to peer at him, and only saw his back, clothed in the white shirt he wore underneath the cloak.

With a small smile, she drew the fire-rat cloak around her body, reveling in its warmth. She laid down on her side and wrapped her arms around Shippou, using her bag as a pillow. Listening to the popping of the fire and the even breathing of her friends, she fell asleep, watched over by golden eyes the peered through the darkness of the cave at the storm still raging outside.

**XxXxXxXxX**

"Wake up, wench."

Kagome blinked at the insistent foot nudging her in the side. She glanced up and saw Inuyasha hovering over her, pulling his bright red cloak back in place and glaring down at her.

She sat up, noticing immediately that Shippou was gone. She relaxed when he heard him laughing outside as he played with Kirara in the grass that was wet from the storm during the previous night. Upon glancing around, she noted Sango kicking ash on the embers remaining from the fire, and Miroku waiting patiently at the mouth of the cave.

Springing to her feet and slinging her bag and bow over her shoulders, she stared at Inuyasha expectantly.

"Ready!" she declared with a bright smile. The sun was shining brightly, as if it were trying to recompense for the absolutely wretched day before. A bright day meant that they would be able to travel farther, which in turn would mean an uplift in Inuyasha's mood. And when Inuyasha was happy, or at least not in a bad mood, everyone was happy.

As she followed Inuyasha out of the cave, her stomach grumbled loudly in protest, reminding her that no one had eaten since the previous afternoon.

"Umm, Inuyasha?"

"What?"

She rolled her eyes at his annoyed tone; no doubt he had heard her stomach and knew exactly what she was going to ask. "I was just wondering if we were going to have anything for breakfast."

Before Inuyasha could make a scathing response, Shippou came running up to her, his arms weighted down with several large, rosy apples.

"I picked these for you, Kagome!" he grinned up at her, his weariness from the previous night forgotten as he offered them up to her. She smiled back down at him and ruffled his hair, taking two apples and putting the rest of them in her bag for later.

"Thanks, Shippou," she said, with a pointed glare at Inuyasha's back.

The dog demon looked back over at her with a look of indifference and turned back around and began walking away with a barely concealed 'keh'.

Kagome considered sitting him, but decided against it. Shippou clambered up to sit on her shoulders, and her hands automatically wrapped around his legs to steady him as he sat there. As much as it infuriated her that the stupid dog could go from honorable "give-the-cold-lady-my-jacket" sweetness to "bitch-I-don't-care" mode in the course of a single night, she didn't forget that he had given her his cloak the night before, and she was grateful for that. And so she swallowed the "S" word that was trying to claw its way out of her throat and turned to chat with Sango instead.

The sun slowly climbed overhead until it was directly above them, so hot that Kagome felt as if it were close enough to touch, and not a billion miles away like she knew it to be. She raised her hands up to rub her shoulders where the straps of her bag were cutting into the skin. Shippou had abandoned his post there to entice Kirara into a game of tag. They were currently frisking around in the woods to their left.

"Ha, I'll get you!"

A deep growl split the air, and out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw the telltale flash of fire that came with Kirara's demon form.

Shippou's voice shook. "H-hey! That's not fair!"

It took one playful roar from the demon cat to send the kitsune scrambling back onto the path, where he hid behind Kagome's legs with an accusatory, mocking glare at the fire neko, who had strolled up dutifully to walk beside Sango.

They all chuckled, except for Inuyasha, who carried on walking ahead as if nothing had occurred.

Kagome huffed. "It wouldn't kill you to crack a smile every once and a while, you know!" She called to him.

"And it wouldn't kill you to shut your mouth, woman," the hanyou bit back without losing a beat. Miroku and Sango sighed and fell back a bit to leave Kagome and Inuyasha to their daily squabble.

The girl ran ahead to walk beside the dog demon, glowering at him the whole time. "Why are you always such a stick in the mud, Inuyasha?"

"I dunno, maybe it's because being happy never got me anywhere."

Kagome flinched at his sarcastic tone. "Oh yeah, and when were you happy? When you were with Kikyo?"

The silver eats went down flat until they were pinned completed to his head, blending in with the pale silver hair.

"Maybe I was, alright!" His voice was still low, but it had risen in pitch, and the look he gave her should have melted the flesh off her face. "And look what happened. Trust one bitch and she seals you to a damn tree."

"And yet you still go to her whenever she's around," Kagome hissed back. "All it takes is one glimpse of those soul collectors and you run off to wherever she's waiting."

His lip curled as he looked away, saying nothing. They had had this argument so many times, it was practically rehearsed. It always ended with Inuyasha falling silent and Kagome falling back beside Sango.

Or at least, that's what usually happened.

As Kogme slowed her pace and glared down at the ground in defeat, Inuyasha stopped suddenly. She ran into his back, but he did not turn to admonish her with an insult. His ears were twitching like mad, his eyes narrowed into slits, and his hand on the hilt of the Tessaiga.

Behind her, Kagome heard Sango crouch down, and she knew her friend's hand was reaching for Hiraikotsu. A fierce growl rumbled in Kirara's chest, and Shippou came running forward to stand beside Kagome, wrapping his hands around her shin.

Kagome dropped her bag and drew her bow, reaching back to snatch an arrow from her quiver. Inuyasha was still standing in front, his hard eyes staring straight ahead. There was the sound of scraping metal, and in a single fiery blaze, he drew the Fang, already fully transformed.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called, nocking the arrow in her bow in preparation for the worst. She hadn't sensed any jewel shards in the immediate area, so it couldn't be any power-crazed demon sent by Naraku.

"It's Sesshoumaru," the hanyou answered gruffly without turning his head, Tessaiga pulsing in anticipation in his hands.

And as if his words had summoned the great dog demon, he melted out of the forest before them.

Kagome lowered her bow but did not loosen her grip on the wood. Sesshoumaru did not _always_ show up to merely fight his brother, but one could never be too careful in his presence.

The youkai was striding purposefully towards their group, one arm held stiffly at his side, while the empty sleeve where his other arm should have been fluttered about gently with the wind. He cut quite an imposing figure, dressed all in white with the metal breastplate that also encased his shoulders gleaming in the sunlight.

He stopped a few yards away, his platinum hair billowing in the wind as he stared down Inuyasha, who was still wielding his sword brazenly. The hanyou's expression was still set in a fierce hostility, while Sesshoumaru's face was utterly impassive, which spoke volumes in itself. The demon made no move to draw his sword, though that did not make him any less threatening; one well-placed swipe from those poison claws could send even Inuyasha to the grave.

There was the sound of braches crunching underfoot, and Kagome squinted in the direction from where Sesshoumaru had appeared. There, running with her arms flung wide, was his little human ward, Rin. The annoying toad Jaken followed quickly behind her, pulling impatiently on the reins of the dragon demon that traveled with him. Kagome relaxed as Rin slowed to a stop next to Sesshoumaru's leg. She was certain the lord would not attack with the young girl there. After all, in spite of the heartless mask he held up most of the time, she was certain that Sesshoumaru went out of his way more than necessary where Rin was concerned.

"Well, well," Inuyasha drawled as he lowered his sword a fraction of an inch; he wouldn't attack when a human girl was standing so close to his target. "Looks like you brought your whole misfit family, Sesshoumaru. What's the occasion?"

The little green retainer gave an indignant screech that had Kagome wanting to cover her ears. "You disrespectful half-breed, how dare you speak to Lord Sesshoumaru with such disrespect!" The lord himself did nothing but narrow his eyes into golden slits. Kagome watched the motion, remembering that her cat back in the modern era would get that same expression whenever he was about to pounce on an unsuspecting songbird.

But he remained stationary.

Inuyasha was beginning to bristle with impatience, growling obscenities at his half-brother under his breath. Kagome rolled her eyes in exasperation. If the world was left to the men to rule, this would be how all of their problems would be confronted; two opposing forces glaring daggers at each other, but neither actually gaining any sort of upper hand. So she took matters into her own hands and stepped forward, allowing her bow to hang peacefully at her side.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," she muttered respectfully, knowing he would hear her. The demon lord's eyes flickered from Inuyasha to her with a cool indifference, but she knew she had his attention. "Why have you come here?"

The taiyoukai gazed at her calmly, before starting forward. Inuyasha raised the Tessaiga expectantly, and Kagome could tell that "Wind Scar" was about to roll off his tongue, but before he could act, Sesshoumaru moved past him completely without second glance. If Kagome hadn't been so frightened (for the demon lord was walking straight towards her), she would have found Inuyasha's face quite priceless; his mouth was hanging agape with the sword hanging loosely at his side.

Sesshoumaru was standing in front of Kagome, close enough for her to reach out and touch if she really wanted to, though she was sure such an action would earn her nothing but a torn-off limb.

"You are the miko, are you not?" His voice was every bit as stoic as his expression, impassive and cool.

'_Now why would he ask that?' _Kagome wondered. '_I'm sure he can sense my aura.'_

She nodded.

The taiyoukai gave her a swift nod and turned on heel to walk away, off the beaten path and into the forest.

"Come."

The command floated back to her on the wind as the white-haired demon began to vanish into the trees. Kagome's eyes grew wide, and she glanced from Inuyasha, who was still standing there like a dumbstruck moron, to Sango, Miroku, and Shippou, who were shaking their heads frantically.

"Don't follow him, Kagome," Sango warned, "it could be a trap."

Miroku looked thoughtful, even though his face was uncharacteristically serious and grave. "But I'm sure Sesshoumaru hardly needs to lay a trap. If he really wanted to harm Kagome, he probably could have done so right here."

Kagome nodded, seeing the logic in the monk's words. Besides that, Sesshoumaru was among some the most honorable people, well, demons, she had ever met. He would never stoop so low as to trick someone into death. She slung her bow over her shoulder and began to follow where the demon had walked. Before she reached the treeline, however, Inuyasha came back to his senses.

"Oi, wench, where do you think you're goin'?"

Kagome turned her head to glare at him with an icy gaze. "I'm going to go talk with Sesshoumaru, where else?"

Inuyasha slashed the Tessaiga through the air with a fierce growl. "If anyone's gonna talk to that bastard, it's gonna be me!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. She was sure if she let Inuyasha anywhere near his brother, there wouldn't be as much talking as there would be attempted homicides.

"Inuyasha…" she said sweetly with a sugary smile. The "sit" that she had held back earlier was about to make itself known, except she felt like she would have to repeat it numerous times to get her point across.

The hanyou was oblivious to the danger, though, and propped his sword on one of his shoulders. "Yeah?"

A moment later, Kagome had vanished into the woods where Sesshoumaru had gone. Inuyasha was buried about ten feet in the ground, moaning and grumbling incoherently. Shippou was standing at the edge of the hole with his hands on his hips, smirking. "Geeze, Inuyasha, you should have learned by now."

"Can it, runt," came the muffled reply.

There was a giggle from the other side of the hole. Shippou looked up to see Rin standing there, her hands on her hips, mocking the kitsune's stance. Never missing the chance to show off, Shippou jumped gracefully over to where she was, making her smile.

The fox-kit reached up to the human girl with one paw. "I'm Shippou!"

Rin took his paw into her hand and shook it. "I'm Rin!"

Sango and Miroku watched their exchange with an air of amusement, laughing as the children abandoned their diplomacy in favor of chasing each other up and down the path. Sango sobered more quickly than Miroku, and turned her head to stare down where Sesshoumaru and Kagome had vanished.

_I wonder what he wants with her?_

_

* * *

_

**This is not my only first of the day, haha. I've never written a chapter that exceeded three thousand words, and this one blew it away by far, almost by 1500 words! How exciting is that?**

**Please leave feedback, every bit helps, even if it's just a little "good job", or "needs work". Reviews are like fatty foods; not exactly necessary, but still amazingly good.**


	2. The Meeting, First Crane

**Thanks for the reviews everyone, they are greatly appreciated. The previous chapter was mostly just a filler to set up the plot, and this one is also a filler that finishes setting up the plot XD So all in all, these first chapters are pretty boring, but I swear it will get better. Or at least I hope it will.**

**Now, I know these chapters were uploaded within like three days of each other, but that's because I really had nothing else to do this weekend, and I was already halfway done with this chapter when I uploaded the first one (they were originally both one chapter but I split them up). The regular schedule right now that I'm aiming for is one update every two weeks. I really don't feel like failing my classes :D**

**And so, without further ado...**

* * *

The Meeting

Kagome darted through the trees, her bow bouncing on her back ever time her foot hit the ground. The birds in the forest had stopped their cheerful songs, aware of the demon in their midst, and so the only sound for miles was of her feet pounding the forest floor, and her labored breathing and beating heart.

She was following the only part of Sesshoumaru left to follow; the footprints. The ground was still damp from the soaking it had received the night before, and it seemed that even the great dog demon of the West was not above leaving a set of paw – er, footprints, behind him in the mud.

_He sure is going a long way out of his way to chat, _Kagome thought miserably as she felt her legs beginning to ache. The past few years in the feudal era had built up her endurance, but she wasn't in any shape to be chasing after an immortal demon for miles, even at a light pace. She found herself wishing she had brought Kirara along, for she would have certainly made better time atop of the fire-cat's back, but the neko wasn't hers to command, and Sango hadn't had the time to offer her the cat before Kagome had rushed off.

Besides, Kagome wasn't even sure if she would be going back alive.

A shiver overtook her, and suddenly she wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction.

Really, _what the hell _was she thinking? She was running straight towards a demon who had tried to kill her on more than one occasion in the past, her only weapon being her bow and arrow.

_But I'm a miko, _Kagome forced out with false confidence. _No demon can stand up to the purification arrows. _But the argument sounded weak to her own ears; to purify Sesshoumaru if it turned out he wanted to harm her, she'd have to hit him first, a task that Inuyasha himself couldn't manage half of the time.

Mirkou's words came back to her: _"If he really wanted to harm Kagome, he probably could have done so right here". _

And that was true, right? With one twitch of his acidic claws, he could have killed them all with the poison whip without batting an eyelash. But he hadn't. Instead, he had ignored everyone completely.

Except for her.

_What does he want with me, anyways? Except for Rin, Sesshoumaru doesn't exactly pal around with humans._

Oh well. Once she found him, she would have her answer. And then she could go back to Inuyasha and make him some ramen to stop his incessant whining and complaining.

If she ever found him, damn it! These footprints seemed to lead on forever! Not that much time had passed between him leaving their group and her running after him, so for him to have gotten so far ahead was so…okay, so it was realistic, but it didn't make it any less frustrating.

The prints led her between a thick stand of trees, which she squeezed through with difficulty, squealing as her hair and various parts of her clothes snagged on the low-hanging branches. Her bow itself was swept completely off her back after being tangled up in some vines and Kagome had to stop and unwind it from its prison. When it was free at last, she continued on, holding her bow close to her this time, but still tripping over the occasional root sticking up out of the ground.

With a final growl of exertion, Kagome pulled herself free of the foliage, stumbling ungracefully in a small grassy field that was filled only with grasses and weeds. She wound up on her hands and knees, her hair filled with various twigs and leaves and her arms, legs, and face marred with many small cuts and scrapes. Some of them were bleeding, but they weren't bad, and would probably close up within a few minutes.

"Do you plan on sitting there all day, miko?"

She jumped at the sound of his pristine voice cutting through the air.

Sesshoumaru was sitting on the other side of the clearing a few paces away, his back resting against a tree trunk. One leg was folded Indian-style, while the other was bent up. His remaining arm rested on the bent knee, the hand limp and empty, though still managing to look threatening. And even though Sesshoumaru's head was tilted back and his eyes half-open, he still looked threatening as well.

Indignant, Kagome scrambled to find her footing, brushing herself off and trying to tame her hair (which resembled more closely a bush at this point). She had resolved to be respectful and diplomatic towards the Western Lord, but her expedition through the woods had worsened her temper quite nicely. "Maybe if you hadn't led me miles away from the path I could have gotten here quicker!"

His eyes opened into slits, but he apparently didn't deem her worthy enough to get a rise out of him, for he remained sitting on the forest floor.

"This Sesshoumaru does not wish to be overheard."

The only thing that kept Kagome from rolling her eyes was the uncertainty that the lord sitting across from her wouldn't rip them out at such 'disrespect' towards his person. "Do you really think that a couple of miles will really stop Inuyasha from following?"

Now Sesshoumaru stood in a single fluid motion with a barely-there flick of his hair to remove any bark that had stuck to it. "The half-breed knows better than to follow."

Kagome blinked. She wasn't entirely sure that she agreed with Sesshoumaru's deduction; whenever his half-brother was concerned, Inuyasha always made sure that he was at the front of the line to take a swing at him. She was sure that the taiyoukai knew this, for he wasn't a stupid creature. He was certainly smarter than Inuyasha, by any means.

_Thank you, Captain Obvious, _she spat at herself, _But that doesn't bring me anywhere closer to any answers._

Sesshoumaru watched as her eyes gained a faraway gleam, and lifted pristine eyebrow. "You are confused."

Kagome sighed. If she lied, he would be able to tell in a heartbeat, so she decided that the truth was her safest bet for now. "It's just…I'm not sure that Inuyasha would stay away. I mean, he really seems to like trying to kill you and all." _Not that I really blame him, _she added to herself silently. "I just don't think that you intimidate him."

The corner of his mouth turned up just enough to make it a smirk. "You assume that this Sesshoumaru thinks that he will not follow because of my presence here?"

She had to force herself not to flinch away from that expression; it just looked so unnatural on his face. "Well, yeah."

"Then you jump to conclusions far too soon, miko. He will not follow because you made it quite clear that his opinions were not welcome."

"What? Oh!" Kagome flushed a bit. Sesshoumaru must have overheard her "sitting" Inuyasha, followed quickly by the noises of his body crashing into the ground and his loud cursing. "He was trying to stop me from leaving, so I, er…made him let me go."

"I deduced as much."

"So is it working? I mean, is he staying away?"

His eyes flickered to a place somewhere over her shoulder to the thick forest behind her, before he gave his head a small nod. "He is still on the path with the others."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Just how far around can you hear?"

"A greater range than you can fathom, human."

She pursed her lips and gave a disgruntled sniff at the barb, but pressed on valiantly. "Don't all the noises annoy you?"

He stared at her coolly. "Some sounds are easier to ignore than others. But there are some, such as you stamping around loud enough to alert a whole region of youkai, that cannot be tuned out."

Kagome bristled. "Hey-!"

"Enough of your foolish antics, girl. I did not lead you here to waste my time."

She fell silent and crossed her arms haughtily across her chest. She had been wondering why Sesshoumaru had been so generous in answering her questions; he had been waiting to set her up.

"So why am I here, then?"

"You will take Rin."

Kagome's mouth fell open. Of all the things she had been expecting to come out of Sesshoumaru's mouth, that had not been it.

Her first thoughts automatically went to Inuyasha. _Keh, not a chance. Just another weak human mouth to feed. _He would definitely not approve of it.

She realized that Sesshoumaru was waiting for her to answer. From his lofty, indifferent expression, she assumed that he thought she would say yes without any protest, and she would if she wasn't nervous about Inuyasha. Not that she wasn't afraid of his reaction, no, she was more afraid of how he would treat the girl. It had taken him a long time to warm up to her, after all.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I don't think Inuyasha-"

Sesshoumaru cut across her smoothly. "If I had wanted Inuyasha's opinion, I would be speaking with him and not with you."

Kagome arched an eyebrow. "And why do you hold my opinion over his?"

"You are the mother to the kitsune, are you not?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And you would always see to it that he received the best you could give him?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then I fail to see a problem with this arrangement."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kagome interjected violently before he could close off the subject entirely. "Just why exactly does Rin need come with us? Do you not want her to travel with you anymore?" In her mind's eye, Kagome saw the little girl's sweet face streaked with tears and sorrow; for Sesshoumaru to leave her would break her heart. She had seen how devoted the girl was to the demon lord. She would think that him abandoning her was somehow her fault. In spite of herself, Kagome felt her ire rise.

"How could you leave her!" she hissed at Sesshoumaru, placing her hands on her hips. "She loves you more than anything, and you're just going to dump her off with someone like Inuyasha?"

His golden eyes flashed dangerously. "Do not be so bold as to assume my motives, you foolish woman," he growled at her. To her astonishment, the fur on his shoulder was beginning to stand on end, like the fur on a dog's back when it became agitated. Sesshoumaru, upon following her line of sight and seeing what had captured her attention, visibly relaxed. Of course, if anyone else had been watching, they would not have seen any change in his demeanor, but Kagome notices the way his hard arms lost their cold glare, and the muscles around his jaw loosened slightly, softening the frown that was usually there. The fur was quickly back to its fluffy, soft-looking state, and once it had fallen flat again, Sesshoumaru's usual mask was back up. He flashed Kagome a cold glance that she understood immediately: _Speak of this to anyone and die._

Kagome didn't know whether to burst out laughing or run for her life in terror. On one hand, she had just seen Sesshoumaru's furry thing (or she guessed it was a part of him, since it had reacted to his emotions) bristle like someone had just rubbed it with a balloon, which she thought was just too cute. On the other hand, what she had said had been enough to rile Sesshoumaru enough for him to momentarily lose control, and she was sure that if he hadn't been seeking a favor from her, he would have killed her on the spot.

_Favor? _Her mind whispered. _It was more like a command._

"Um, well then," she began meekly, "why are you leaving Rin with us?"

"There has been trouble back at my home in the West," Sesshoumaru said stiffly, his hand once more at his side. "I must return to see to the security of my lands, and I cannot keep the girl with me and watch out for her while I am there."

"But haven't you just left her with Jaken and Au-Un in the past?" Kagome replied, slightly confused, while wondering at the same time what could possibly be troubling the lord.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly, a silent affirmation. "Yes, I have. However, Jaken has been proving himself to be a rather…unsuccessful guardian for the girl." His voice was quiet and cool, and Kagome shivered, feeling an uncommon pang of sympathy for the annoying toad. She opened her mouth to ask what happened, thought better of it after seeing the look on Sesshoumaru's face, and closed it again. If the taiyoukai could express any emotion, she would have sworn that there was a hint of amusement there, but then it was gone a second later.

Kagome fidgeted, smoothing down her skirt just to give her hands something to do. "I still don't think it would be good to have Rin around Inuyasha. It's bad enough that Shippou has to put up with him."

"The girl does not have to associate with the hanyou. You will take care of her, not him."

Kagome nodded. "Of course I would take care of her. But she'd still be around Inuyasha, and he's not exactly the most positive role model."

"Then that is your problem."

"WHAT?!" _Damn it, what the hell?! _She had been hoping that he would give Inuyasha a brief smackdown and then proceed to give him a set of rules. She knew he would never listen to her.

If he was annoyed with her indignant screech, Sesshoumaru did not show it. Instead, he merely looked down is arrogant, aristocratic nose at her. "I am leaving Rin in your care, miko. I asked you to come here with me to _tell _you this, not to _request_ it of you. If she is under your protection, then nothing will happen to her."

Though he did not add '_or else', _Kagome knew it was implied.

She also knew that arguing with Sesshoumaru was about as productive as arguing with a brick wall.

So she bowed her head, and Sesshoumaru, taking this as a submission on her part, turned on his heel and walked smoothly away, back towards the path. Behind her curtain of hair, Kagome gave a smirk of her own, the last trick up her sleeve.

"Will you return to the group before you go West?" She asked innocently.

"Of course. Jaken will be coming back to the West as well, to assist in diplomatic affairs. And Rin must know what to expect."

_Translation: I want to say goodbye._

Kagome schooled her features into a stoic mask and raised her head with a toss of her hair. "I'm gonna to take Rin in no matter what, of course, but I kinda don't appreciate your attitude. Is this the way you treat everyone who you ask favors of?"

Sesshoumaru paused mid-stride and turned his head to look back at her, and annoyed glare in his eyes. "As I told you, girl, it is not a favor-"

"But I found a way you can make it up to me!"

He raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

She flounced up to him and gave him a mocking smile.

"_You_ get to tell Inuyasha."

**XxXxXxXxX**

"No way. There is no way in hell I'm taking in your stupid brat and that dragon."

Kagome grinned to herself as she watched the fireworks.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were facing off in the center of the path. Inuyasha looked pissed, Sesshoumaru looked the same as ever (except for that occasional twitch in his jaw), and Kagome was thoroughly enjoying herself. Rin was running around further down the path with Shippou, watched over by Au-Un and Jacken, while Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were watching Inuyasha attempt to fend off his brother's request.

Kagome knew her friend wouldn't win this fight; Sesshoumaru was far too stubborn to give in, but she was certain he would have a headache after dealing with Inuyasha's shouts.

He got what he deserved for the way he treated her. She would take Rin in in a heartbeat, but he didn't have to make his request in such a cold way. A simple "please" and "thank you" would have sufficed nicely, but of course he couldn't stoop so low to do something like that.

So this would be a nice experience for him.

"Did it ever cross your thick skull that we have our own job to do?" Inuyasha yelled, flapping his arms around. Kagome rolled her eyes at his words and prepared her bow. Trust Inuyasha to try and rile Sesshoumaru up. She didn't think the demon lord would try to kill his half-brother with Rin there, but you could never tell with Sesshoumaru.

The dog demon's fingers twitched slightly at Inuyasha's brazen words, but when he spoke, his voice was as calm and as steady as it ever was.

"You will. Your miko has already agreed to it."

Kagome frowned in annoyance at the glare that Inuyasha gave her.

"Since when did you make the decisions of the group, wench?"

"Because I know you lack the common sense to take in a child who would be in danger otherwise," Kagome bit back coolly. Normally she would be acting bit more peacefully, but she had just finished rubbing peroxide on the scratches and cuts she had gained both on her walk to the clearing and her return back to the path, though thankfully Sesshoumaru had chosen to go _around _the stand of trees this time instead of through it. She still hadn't figured out how he had gotten through those trees in the first place and come out all shiny and perfect, but figured that she never would and decided not to pursue it.

Anyways, the stinging sensation from the peroxide had left her in an exceptionally worse mood than she had woken up with.

"Keh, I do not!" Inuyasha snarled, curling his lip.

"Uh huh, yeah, so what are you doing now then?"

Inuyasha hesitated, and then turned back to face Sesshoumaru. "Whatever. Who asked you anyways?"

Kagome rolled her eyes over to where Sango and Miroku were sitting on a log. They sent her sympathetic glances and went back to talking amongst themselves quietly. Miroku's hand was creeping closer and closer to Sango's backside, and the young girl grinned, knowing what was going to come next. Sure enough, no sooner than five seconds after she had turned back to watch Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, there was a loud smack.

She was not surprised when she saw Sesshoumaru sweeping away from Inuyasha, looking severely annoyed with his half-brother. She gave him a cheery grin and wave as he walked by, and he gave her an icy glare in return that should have melted the flesh off her face.

Inuyasha followed close behind, but unlike Sesshoumaru, stopped where Kagome was and rounded on her furiously.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he hissed angrily, his hands balled up into fists.

"Inuyasha, calm down. It's just Rin," Kagome reasoned with him as calmly as she could. "Besides, Au-Un is staying too. That should put less stress on Kirara when we have to fly, and he's a demon. He can fight."

The hanyou folded his arms and looked unconvinced. Kagome smiled in spite of her annoyance. He looked like an overgrown boy, pouting at not being able to get his favourite candy. She reached out and tweaked his ears.

"I'll make you extra ramen for a week."

Inuyasha shifted, and Kagome could tell his resolve was weakening. It seemed that the quickest way to a man's heart was to his stomach after all.

"Well…"

She clasped her hands in front of her and gave him her most winning smile. "Please, Inuyasha?"

He took one look at her and was lost. "Alright, alright."

She smiled at him again, while Sango and Miroku looked on in amazement. Kagome had Inuyasha wrapped around her little finger, that was for sure, no matter how much he happened to deny the fact.

Kagome turned to see Sesshoumaru standing in front of Rin, one clawed hand atop of her head in a rare show of affection. The young girl was staring up at the dog demon with an expression akin to worship, and she would occasionally nod at something that he would say to her. Kagome rested her chin on the palm as she watched their interlude with curiosity. It was a shame that Sesshoumaru's back was to her; she would have liked to see what his face looked like.

Shippou, temporarily deprived of his playmate, ambled over to her and clambered onto her lap. Kagome held him close to her as if it were second nature, and they sat in contented silence as they waited for the taiyoukai and his retainer to leave.

Finally, Sesshoumaru removed his hand, but not before Rin reached out and briefly touched the sleeve. Kagome managed to catch the final words of their exchange.

"You will come back, right Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He nodded immediately, and she smiled at him before he turned to Jaken. Their conversation was notably briefer, and Sesshoumaru's expression changed to a harsher one as he spoke to the little green toad. Or so Kagome noticed.

Before the pair left, Sesshoumaru turned to her, meeting her brown eyes with his own golden ones. They were hard and filled with warning; if anything happens to her, you will be the one to pay for it. Kagome lifted her chin and met his gaze head on, before giving him a tiny nod. Without another word to anyone else, Sesshoumaur spun around and walked away in the opposite direction they were going, Jaken following behind him with the occasional squawk.

"Goodbye, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin shouted at his disappearing back, lifting her arm and waving it through the air. The checkered orange kimono waved like a banner in the sunlight, but the dog demon did not turn back to give her a final glance. Eventually, they vanished around a bend in the path and were gone.

"So do we keep going now?" Miroku asked as Rin finally put her hand down, though she still stared at the spot where her lord had vanished.

"We'll go after that bastard's scent had faded," Inuyasha growled back, sniffing at the air with his ears pinned flat against his head. Kagome snorted.

"Inuyasha, didn't he just prove he didn't want to attack us? He was here for ages and didn't once draw his sword."

"Don't be so naïve, Kagome, it's Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha retorted swiftly, leaping up into a tree to sit. "He's probably pulling this over as some sort of trick. There's no way he could care about some dumb girl so much."

Kagome glanced at Rin, but the girl was back to running around with Shippou, who had abandoned Kagome's lap in favor of play, and she hadn't heard Inuyasha's comment. She sent the half-demon a pointed glare. "Is it so hard to believe that he actually cares about a girl, Inuyasha?"

He peered down at her through the foliage. "Yeah, it is."

With a "hmph", Kagome wandered over to her bag. If they were going to sit there and do nothing while Inuyasha waited for Sesshoumaru's scent to fade, she could get some homework done in the meantime.

**XxXxXxXxX**

When they stopped to settle for the night, they hadn't gotten much further from that spot. In all honesty, Sesshoumaru had taken his time in removing himself from the immediate area, which had, of course, put Inuyasha on edge. The hanyou had been convinced that the demon was just waiting to double back and catch them off-guard. The others didn't really think anything of it. Eventually when the scent of the demon grew fainter, Inuyasha agreed to leave.

Rin turned out to be a great playmate for Shippou; the fox kit would play with Kirara most of the time, but the fire neko couldn't speak to him. It was good for him to have another kid around his age to talk to.

And Rin herself had turned out to be a complete angel. She walked along with them for a while, chasing Shippou back and forth up and down the path, and when she got tired, she clambered on top of Au-Un and leaned against the back of the dragon's neck, falling asleep. All in all, she was an amazing traveling companion, and Kagome couldn't expect anything less; she had traveled with Sesshoumaru all through the last few years.

And now they were all settling in for the night. Kagome tugged her sleeping bag from where it was crammed in her bag. It had been a bit damp the previous night, but had gotten a bit drier in the warmth of the day, so it was useable tonight. She was sitting on top of it, not quite ready to go to bed yet, Shippou curled up beside her, already asleep. Instead of sleeping, she was folding a piece of paper in her hands.

Rin wandered over curiously, her head tilted to the side which gave her side ponytail an odd appearance. She knelt in front of Kagome and watched her hands with wide eyes.

"What are you making, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome smiled at her and reached into a pocked in her bag. When she pulled her hand out again, she had another piece of origami paper, which she handed to Rin.

"Do what I do."

Rin nodded furiously and smiled. "Okay!"

By the light of the fire, the woman and the girl sat together, making various folds and bends in their paper. Kagome was a patient teacher, helping Rin whenever she became confused as to what went where. The girl became a bit puzzled as to what they were supposed to be making; the shape that she had in her hand did not closely resemble anything she recognized.

But as she watched, Kagome folded up to different ends of the paper, and suddenly they became a head and a tail. Rin followed closely. The young woman then folded the paper down on the sides of the shape, and as Rin watched, Kagome made a final fold and crease. What once was an ordinary piece of paper was now a graceful white crane, sitting serenely in the miko's outstretched hand.

Rin folded the wings down as well and held her bird out for inspection. It wasn't as neat as Kagome's but it had been better than her own first attempt. Kagome laughed and gave Rin a hug.

"It looks beautiful, Rin-chan."

"What is it, Kagome-chan?"

"It's a crane, Rin. They are the symbols of honor and loyalty." Kagome gave her own paper crane to Rin, who took it in her hands and looked at it with a childlike awe. "There is a legend that says if you make a thousand paper cranes, you will be granted your dearest wish."

Rin fell silent and looked down at her hands.

Kagome knew what she was thinking. "Rin?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama has never left Rin with you before," she said, her voice small. "Will he come back?"

Kagome reached out and pulled the little girl close to her, where she snuggled into her body. "Did Sesshoumaru-sama tell you that he would come back?"

The girl nodded slowly into the crook of her elbow. "Yes. Sesshoumaru-sama said he would come back."

"Then he will, Rin-chan. He will."

_

* * *

_

**Haha, abrubt-ending (.) com, much? The only reason I like this chapter is because of the first three and a half thousand words. All the other ones are just space holders XD I'm actually kind of proud of myself because I've never written a five-page dialogue before, let alone between a person who talks and someone who doesn't. I think I'm getting the swing of writing Inuyasha, though I only really dealt with two characters in this chapter so that probably doesn't count.**

**And no worries, Sess will be making a reappearance in future chapters...can't have them falling in love in the second chapter...more like the twentieth one :P**

**Review please! I want to see who's reading this!  
**

**-TBU**


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